Book Description
He has been one of the brightest stars in Hollywood, a hard-charging actor whose intensity on the screen has been mirrored in his personal life. As Kirk Douglas has grown older - he turned ninety in December 2006 - he has become less impetuous and more reflective. In this poignant and inspiring new memoir, Douglas contemplates what life is all about, weighing current events from his present frame of mind while summoning the passions of his younger days.
Kirk Douglas is a born storyteller, and throughout Let's Face It he tells wonderful tales and shares favorite jokes and hard-won insights. In the book, he explores the mixed blessings of growing older and looks back at his childhood, his young adulthood, and his storied, glamorous, and colorful life and career in Hollywood. He tells delightful stories of the making of such films as Spartacus, Lust for Life, Champion, The Bad and the Beautiful, and many others. He includes anecdotes about his friends Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster, Lauren Bacall, Ronald Reagan, Ava Gardner, Henry Kissinger, Fred Astaire, Yul Brynner, John Wayne, and Johnny Cash. He reveals the secrets that have kept him and his wife, Anne, happily married for more than five decades, and talks fondly and movingly of times spent with his sons, Michael, Peter, Eric, and Joel, and his grandchildren.
Douglas's life has been filled with pain as well as joy. In Let's Face It, he writes frankly for the first time about the tragic death of his son Eric from a drug overdose at age forty-five. Douglas tells what it was like to recover from several near-death episodes, including a helicopter crash, a stroke, and a cardiac event. He writes of his sadness that many of his closest friends are no longer with us; the book includes many moving stories such as one about a regular poker game at Frank Sinatra's house at which he and Anne have been fixtures along with Gregory Peck, Jack Lemmon, and their wives. Though many of the players are gone, the game continues to this day.
In Let's Face It, Douglas reflects on how his Jewish faith has become more and more important to him over the years. He offers strong opinions on everything from anti-Semitism to corporate greed, from racism to Hurricane Katrina, and from the war in Iraq to the situation in Israel. He writes about the importance in his life of the need to improve education for all children and about how we need to care more about the world and less about ourselves.
A must-read for every fan, this engrossing memoir provides an indelible self-portrait of a great star - while sharing the wit and wisdom Kirk Douglas has accumulated over a lifetime.
Customer Reviews:
a man you can love and respect.......2007-08-31
I could not put the book down ,I had to read it from cover to cover . He is a one of a kind person It shows how you will always go back to your roots
Not as good as past books.......2007-08-23
I have read past books by Kirk Douglas which were much better, mainly because they told a story, and this book is mostly ramblings. It is okay to pick up and read a bit from time to time but not a book you will be engrossed in.
A wonderful life .......2007-08-19
Kurt does it again. At ninety he is still feisty and funny. And his life- story which he has told in two previous books is only enriched by another retelling. He opens with the story of his ninetieth birthday party, a gala family event in which he laughs and is laughed at as well as celebrated and appreciated. The little kid from Amsterdam did not do so bad. He may have started out as a poor hungry kid robbing eggs from the neighbor's chicken coop but he with a lot of moxie and ability made it to the top of the American entertainment world. In this book which comes across as a series of small essays or talks he wanders all over the place but always interestingly. He in his long career knew a lot of remarkable people and he tells about many of his old buddies. He also in the course of this speaks about how much he misses many of them, one of the sad consequences of a very long life. He also speaks about the tragic death of his youngest son, whose grave he visits twice a week.
Kurt did not make it the easy way. A heart attack, a helicopter crash which set him back a lot, a stroke which took his speech from him. The stroke however did not take away his will and through great effort much help he fought back to speak and think clearly again. Part of his wake- up process was a decision to explore Judaism which he had sort of forgotten about in his prime acting years ( Except for his yearly Yom Kippur synagogue visits, and the movies made in Israel which he is a staunch supporter of) His strong desire to help young people to educate them to moral dignity and lives of contributing to making a better world is also expressed here. Also he tells the story of his fifty- three year and running marriage to his second wife,Ann, and how this has been the great love story of his life.
Kurt has guts and heart .He is a tough, caring person, who will always of course be most known for some of his remarkable performances on the screen ( Lonely Are the Brave, The Champion, Spartacus, The Clown, Lust or Life) but his works as a writer also have great entertainment and educational value.
A wonderfully enjoyable little book by a great human being.
Still the toughest guy in town.......2007-03-30
You have to be tough to face your own mortality and Kirk Douglas faces it feisty, reflective, and sometimes furious. In addition to great stories from his life that he hasn't told before, this book tells of the things that, 90 years on, move his heart and his soul. I was surprised, delighted and stirred all the way through.
Book Description
Redemption has made it to the bestseller chart, but what Chloe and the girls need most is some downtime to sift through the usual high school stress with grades, friends, guys, and the prom. Chloe struggles to recover from a serious crush on the band leader of Iron Cross. Then, just as an unexpected romance catches Redemption by surprise, Caitlin O'Conner - whose relationship with Josh is taking on a new dimension - joins the tour as their chaperone. Chloe's wild ride only speeds up, and this one-of-a-kind musician faces the fact that life may never be normal again.
Monday, June 13
prepare my heart for the storm / keep me safe, keep me warm / heap those bags, around my heart / build that wall, before it starts / pile them up, and pile them high / keep me safe, keep me dry / before the waves come rushing in / Lord, please, make me strong again
Chloe, Allie, and Laura split their time between “normal” high school life—going to classes, attending prom—and touring as Redemption, a rising new Christian band. When Allie’s mom needs to bow out of their summer tour, Caitlin O’Conner fills in as chaperone.
And a good thing, too. Caitlin is the perfect person to have around as Chloe’s feelings for the handsome lead singer of Iron Cross continue to grow. Amid a grueling concert schedule, Chloe realizes that attraction is a powerful and even dangerous force. But when death hits close to home, Chloe’s heart is slammed by another emotion: guilt.
In good times and bad, with blessing and temptation, and especially when things spin out of control, trusting God is the challenge. ’Cause there comes a time when we all have to face the music.
Story Behind the Book
Chloe and her band, Redemption, are being given amazing opportunities, but with it comes the responsibility of serving God wholeheartedly. In this book, perhaps more than the others in the Diary series, Chloe begins to grasp what sort of ministry (not just a music career) that God is calling her to. As an author, I travel a similar road. I am constantly weighing my "art/craft" against what God is pressing on my heart to write, while striving to be authentic and uncompromising.
Customer Reviews:
Face the Music.......2007-09-30
Boys even read the books. Great teenage stories that draw students to want to read the book. I can't keep the series of books in my classroom. As soon as it's checked in it's checked out by someone else.
sad to see the Chloe stories coming to an end.......2005-05-27
"Face the Music" is the last book about Chloe for the present, at least. This book follows in the steps of the others. Now a junior in high school, Chloe has a new list of problems, as well as some old problems. First, Redemption is in for its hardest tour season yet-summer, with concerts on every day but Sunday. And Caitlin O'Conner, who replaces Elise, Allie's mom as chaperone, is more harsh than the girls ever imagined. Laura's doing better now, but its Allie and Chloe's turn to have problems. Chloe and Jeremy Baxter, the 22 year old lead singer and songwriter for Iron Cross, (Chloe is 17 in this book by the way) have to find a way to deal with their feelings for each other, of which they know can make or break their careers as Christian musicians. But Chloe fails to heed Caitlin's timely advice regarding Jeremy, and finds herself in harm's way. And while on tour, Chloe must face the facts when Tiffany Knight dies and she blames herself for Tiffany's lack of faith in Christ. This book ends with many loose ends, some of them leading to the book "I Do!" about Caitlin's engagement and later marriage to Josh Miller, and the upcoming books about Kim Peterson, the next Harrison High School student that Carlson plans to write about in this series. This book was a vast improvement over the previous six or so in the series. Aside from a little outdated slang, I found that Chloe's reaction to Caitlin's advice to be dead on, her confusion about what to do to be dead on, and finally, Caitlin's advice as a 21-year-old to be dead on. The only sad thing is that this is (hopefully only currently) the last book about Chloe Miller. I would love to see what becomes of her and Jeremy Baxter, even if it is through the eyes of Kim Peterson or Caitlin O'Conner.
Great Read!!.......2005-05-20
I have never read the Caitlin series and I'm not really interested in it..I loved the Chloe series and read all of the books in about a week...I think this book teaches a great lesson and I feel like I can really relate to Chloe. GREAT BOOK!!!!!!
engaging young adult Christian novel.......2004-06-30
The female teenage Christian rock band Redemption has begun climbing the ladder of success and even becoming recognized in malls while on tour. However, the trio of high school students, Chloe Miller, Allie Curtis, and Laura Mitchell has other concerns besides the music though they each trust in the Lord to guide them. Allie and Laura wonder about what to wear at the prom while Chloe knows that she really likes twenty-one years old Jeremy Baxter of the Iron Cross band.
A fellow student back Harrison High sends emails to Chloe asking for help in finding her way to God. However, Chloe has a difficult time turning the other cheek as Tiffany Knight beat her up a couple of years ago. Will Chloe, who refuses to open the emails, forgive and assist Tiffany on the path as the singer knows God expects of her or will she continue to believe that Tiffany could never find the Lord?
This is an engaging young adult Christian novel that follows the trials, tribulations, and beliefs of three young ladies on tour. The story line is predominately told by Chloe, but fans get a deep look at all three teens plus their retinue and the members of Iron Cross. FACE THE MUSIC is a warm tale that brings to life the importance that anyone can be saved if people take a chance on risking rejection by their peers but acceptance by the Lord.
Harriet Klausner
Diary of a Teenage Girl - Face the Music : Diary Number 8 (D.......2004-06-26
i personally thought that the book was very interesting as i really touched me. i was not as lucky as chloe though. the person who died that was my friend was not a christian. i was not really consumed with guilt though i felt a twinge of it. Anyway, enough of me. jeremy and chloe's relationship gets interesting and i really hope to see what will happen in the next diary of a teenage girl-Kim. it is a really good book as chloe matures and you'll see a different side of her as she becomes more feminine. ireally loved it and enjoyed it and finished it in 2 hours and have since reread it loads of times. Keep up the good work melody!
Book Description
In the 1960s and 1970s, a number of British musicians rediscovered traditional folk ballads, fusing the old melodies with rock, jazz, and blues styles to create a new genre dubbed "electric folk" or "British folk rock." This revival featured groups such as Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention, and Pentangle and individual performers like Shirley and Dolly Collins, and Richard Thompson. While making music in multiple styles, they had one thing in common: they were all based on traditional English song and dance material. These new arrangements of an old repertoire created a unique musical voice within the popular mainstream. After reasonable commercial success, peaking with Steeleye Span's Top 10 album All Around My Hat, Electric Folk disappeared from mainstream notice in the late 1970s, yet performers continue to create today. In Electric Folk: The Changing Face of English Traditional Music, Britta Sweers provides an illuminating history and fascinating analysis of the unique features of the electric folk scene, exploring its musical styles and cultural implications. Drawing on rare historical sources, contemporary music journalism, and first-hand interviews with several of electric folk's most prominent artists, Sweers argues that electric folk is both a result of the American folk revival of the early 1960s and a reaction against the dominance of American pop music abroad. Young British "folk-rockers," such as Richard Thompson and Maddy Prior, turned to traditional musical material as a means of asserting their British cultural identity. Yet, unlike many American and British folk revivalists, they were not as interested in the "purity" of folk ballads as in the music's potential for lively interaction with modern styles, instruments, and media. The book also delves into the impact of the British folk rock movement on mainstream pop, American rock music, and neighboring European countries. Ultimately, Sweers creates a richly detailed portrait of the electric folk scene--as cultural phenomenon, commercial entity, and performance style.
Customer Reviews:
Not a moment too soon..........2007-07-13
A scholarly exploration of English folk-rock and its historical context has been long overdue, and Britta Sweers offers a comprehensive assessment of the diversity and iconoclasm of this curious and extraordinary postwar phenomenon. Thoroughly buttressed with extensive research, including some enlightening interviews with surviving artists, Electric Folk will undoubtedly become an indispensable work of pop culture criticism.
British folk into rock: 20c evolution.......2007-02-16
Britta Sweers, in her dissertation expanded into a book, offers a refreshing change from the usual thesis packaged between harder covers. Her own experiences as a curious listener drew her in to the electric-folk British scene. Her training as a musicologist allowed her to chart the innovations the musicians brought to this fusion of rock attitude and folk sensibility. Or vice versa. This conundrum generates the contents of her study and the tension of the genre.
Added to this, as the first reviewer explains, are interviews with many of the key players. This is valuable, as informants like Ashley Hutchings, Martin Carthy, Norma Waterson, and especially Maddy Prior share their memories-- or such as survive as they readily admit. Added to this is Sweers' best touch, for me. She trawls Melody Maker & Sounds (less so NME as she explains) for mentions of folk-rock as Fairport began to be marketed beyond the limited folk scene, and the counterculture took up the freak folk flag more readily by the time of "Liege & Lief." The analysis Sweers constructs shows how with less heralded (compared to Sandy Denny & Richard Thompson in hindsight!) Dave Mattacks on drums crafted the signature sound that enabled a genre to flourish, traditional material played by those who had grown up with rock and pop. Out of the folk club ghetto Prior captures in her comments so well, her Steeleye Span and its comrades pursued success into American stadiums and amplified concerts and grand productions on record. This phase, the earlier 70s, Sweers re-creates effectively from the point of view of the band.
I wish the constraint she places around her definition (somewhat flexible necessarily as she carefully accounts for) would have widened to include the rockers who donned folk trappings but were never placed among the folksters. The drift into prog rock and what's been called "elf opera" or 'sci-fi medievalism' is followed, but if Sweers had gone further, the wider relevance of her study upon the larger rock and pop worlds of the 70s might have been better established.
Still, a welcome book. Musicians, fans, scholars all should take from this thoughtful account a lesson in how to approach this wonderfully diversified fusion genre in a suitably eclectic, yet disciplined and carefully researched manner. As did the best of its musicians, so its critics: the preparation shows who merely puts on the garish costume vs. those adepts who come to wear its bold hues well as if a second skin.
pioneering ethnomusicology.......2005-07-01
This is apparently the first book about English electric folk in thirty years, and the first ever to take an ethnomusicological approach to the subject. Most books about British folk music, or about "folk-rock" (a term usually taken to mean an American genre of slightly earlier date) don't distinguish the electric folk bands or else relegate the whole idea to a corner.
But Sweers puts front and center four bands: Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Pentangle, and the Oyster Band, with plenty of discussion of acoustic performers allied to electric folk (e.g. Martin Carthy, Shirley Collins) and some excursions into "Celtic lounge music" (Clannad, Enya) and American bands doing English electric folk. Nor is this a casual anecdotal history. Despite some occasionally sloppy writing and copyediting (what has happened to the OUP, anyway?), Sweers has delved deeply into primary sources and interviewed almost everybody, and written a good analysis of how the "scene" developed, what it meant to the people performing and listening to it (even discussing social class issues), and into what the music is actually like and how it got that way. I especially appreciated the meaty technical sections, like the chart showing some of the unusual chord progressions that characterize these songs (Fairport's "Tam Lin", for instance, is i-VII-III-i).
One might also learn a lot. Every history and interview of these performers says that many of them came out of "the folk clubs," obviously venues where folk music was performed, but Sweers is the first to actually describe these things. It turns out that "'venue' can actually be misleading, for the clubs were more like events - weekly meetings that were located in one of the small back rooms of a pub, easily missed by outsiders" (p. 112). Folk clubs tended to be run by people who took Ewan MacColl's every suggestion as iron-clad gospel, and thus were bastions for what Tom Lehrer once called "the peculiar hard core who equate authenticity with charm." Now one begins to understand why people like Tim Hart and Maddy Prior found them stultifying and found a way out.
Sweers's interviewing and research were done around 1996-97 and the book is largely written from the perspective of that time period, although there's an epilogue dated 2003 when the text was finalized. It's still a long enough perspective to tell the primary history of a movement whose golden age was 1969-75 but still carries on.
This is a pioneering secondary study of considerable value, to ethnomusicologists seeking uncharted fields to read about, and especially to anyone who actually likes the music.
Book Description
A lavishly illustrated biographical essay on the peerless Billie Holiday, drawing on never-before-published material
"Billie Holiday deserves a biography in which her musicianship isn't overshadowed by the tragic events of her life. O'Meally has written that book," says Entertainment Weekly about this absorbing and authoritative account of the greatest jazz singer in history. O'Meally emphasizes Holiday's artistry and training rather than her personal miseries, and he uses voluminous archival material to correct common myths about Holiday. Chronicling her rigorous musical apprenticeship in Baltimore, her reception in New York by Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington, and her work with various musicians, particularly Lester Young, Lady Day is an impassioned testament to Holiday's genius that confirms her place in American jazz.
Customer Reviews:
Pure Genius.......2003-04-21
The reason this book is so powerful is the perfect
melding of photographs and text.
The author's rich, empathetic text makes plain Billie
Holiday's genius as an artist and, unlike some of the
so-called biographies of her life, don't simplify her to
the point of caricature.
Mr. O'Meally focuses on what makes Billie Holiday special:
her total mastery of her craft and her ability to share
her vision of the world through song.
It's her music that made her special. . ........2001-11-29
Tired of all the treatments of Holiday's life in film and print that forget it was her music that made her special, I was delighted to find Professor O'Meally's book. Fascinated with Holiday's life as musician, I had been routinely disappointed whenever I picked up a book or movie in hope of discovering more about her musicianship and less about the tragedies in her life. The book never loses its focus in this respect, making it quite unique.
What made this book even more enjoyable for me to read is that almost ten years ago I was fortunate enough to have taken a class taught by Professor O'Meally. His book conveys the same enthusiasm and passion he had for the subject matter and classes he taught and, no doubt, passed on to his students.
Well researched, with attention to her music.......1997-08-25
Probably one of the best all-round bios of Lady Day, covering the personal and professional. Pays attention to her musical preferences and reasoning behind her unique recording style
Book Description
An amazing collection of witty and romantic songs from the hit RCA Victor recording featuring Renee Fleming, Sylvia McNair, Frederica von Stade, Jennifer Larmore and Carol Vaness. All songs are in their original keys. Contents: Bedtime Story * Paper Wings * Mitten Smitten * A Route to the Sky * Prologue: Once More - to Gloriana * Euclid * The Haughty Snail-King * And Many More.
Book Description
If you care at all about silent pictures, about Chaney, about bravura acting and about film makeup, the book is invaluable and perhaps definitive. --San Diego Union Tribune
Customer Reviews:
The only thorough and ojective source on Lon Chaney.......2002-05-28
This was the most extensive biography I've ever read on Lon Chaney. Micheal F. Blake's account of Chaney was excellent becuase the author explains why the man was so sucsessful.
The book mainly concentrates on the impact he left on critics and movie goers. Also,his agenda and work relationships with film makers and various experts needed for subject matter that was essential for unusual plot elements in some of his greatest films. The author further demonstrates how these relationships enhanced his skill, and how that would inspire him to progress beyond what he already achieved in prior films for futer projects.
The auther accounts for his private life with integrity and honor. However, you'll learn of the private life he wanted people to think he had, regardless of how accurate it was, in comparrisson to the truth, and why.
I am a horror/sci-fi fanatic, with an extensive collection of films, novels and magazines spawned from those very genres-minus Lon Chaney!!! I can only account for two Fangoria magazines that have articles profiling him, and they are not very extensive. It's very hard to find information and literature about this man, which is a shame, considering how much he inspired present day movie makers. That's why this book is a must read, especially for those interested in a medium leading to any type of film carreer. If not, if you want to read something different, Lon Chaney is definately that in every which way, and Micheal F. Blake explains why!
The life of a fascinating personality revealed.......2000-06-16
For the decades since his death, Lon Chaney, while one of the biggest stars of the silent era, had remained one of the least-known (about) talents of said era. The life of this amazing, multi-talented individual is finally revealed to us with Lon Chaney: The Man Behind The Thousand Faces. Chaney fans reap the benefits of author Michael F. Blake's 6 years of research. Of the many things we learn: the son, born to deaf parents and his early mastery of pantomime for the sake of communicating with (and entertaining) them. His rather extensive list of theater credits where he practiced and honed his skills at make-up. His entry into films and the amazing body of work that resulted. His rise from bit player to hugely popular character-actor, adored by the public and respected by his peers. His marriages. All this and much, much more (who knew that Chaney was an adept dancer!). A filmography (as complete as can be known), chronology of major events in Chaney's life, and even a glossary of make-up terminology is also provided.
Two highlights: numerous, never-before-seen (at least by me) photos and Blake (himself a make-up artist) reveals the secrets behind many of the actor's "thousand faces", at the same time dispelling many inaccurate "facts" that have been perpetuated over the years concerning said make-up creations.
Whether you're a fan of Chaney or of film history in general, you will find this book invaluable.
Excellent treatment.......1998-09-21
Mr. Blake presented a thorough and convincing telling of Mr. Chaney's life and career. I found it to be quite readable, informative, and delightful in opening to me the life of one of my favorite screen personalities. Blake's book, as well as its subject, Lon Chaney, deserve a place in the highest levels of cinematic lore and recognition. I recommend this book to anyone wishing to know more about Lon Chaney and his times.
If you want to know who Lon Chaney was, this is THE book!.......1998-09-15
The fans of Lon Chaney have never had a detailed biography of the "Man of a Thousand Faces", but no more! Michael F. Blake has written THE BOOK on Chaney, uncovering a tremendous amount of rare material on the actor's life and career. A film/TV makeup artist himself, Blake is able to finally tell us how Chaney really created his famous makeups. The 120 photos, many I've never seen before, are just amazing! This is the book Chaney fans have been waiting for.
Book Description
Winner of Best Non-Fiction for 2002 Award from the Los Angeles Times Book Review! Samuel Fuller was one of the most prolific and independent writer-director-producers in Hollywood. His 29 tough, gritty films made from 1949 to 1989 set out to capture the truth of war, racism and human frailties, and incorporate some of his own experiences. His film Park Row was inspired by his years in the New York newspaper business, where his beat included murders, suicides, state executions and race riots. He writes about hitchhiking across the country at the height of the Great Depression. His years in the army in World War II are captured in his hugely successful pictures The Big Red One, The Steel Helmet and Merrill's Marauders. Fuller's other films include Pickup on South Street; Underworld U.S.A., a movie that shows how gangsters in the 1960s were seen as "respected" tax-paying executives; Shock Corridor, which exposed the conditions in mental institutions; and White Dog, written in collaboration with Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential), a film so controversial that Paramount's then studio heads Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner refused to release it. In addition to his work in film, Samuel Fuller (1911-1997) wrote eleven novels. He lived in Los Angeles with his wife and their daughter. A Third Face was completed by Jerome Henry Rudes, Fuller's longtime friend, and his wife, Christa Lang Fuller. "Fuller wasn't one for tactful understatement and his hot-blooded, incident-packed autobiography is accordingly blunt ... A Third Face is a grand, lively, rambunctious memoir." - Janet Maslin, The New York Times "Fuller's last work is a joy and an important addition to film and popular culture literature." - Publishers Weekly "If you don't like the films of Sam Fuller, then you just don't like cinema." - Martin Scorsese, from the book's introduction
Customer Reviews:
A Third Face.......2005-09-19
"Film is like a battleground. Love. Hate. Action. Violence. In one word, emotion." That line of dialogue, ad-libbed by Samuel Fuller in Jean-Luc Godard's `Pierrot le fou,' seems to more or less sum up his philosophy of film making. Those of us who aren't fans of the film director may mourn the absence of words like `coherence' and `plausibility,' but there's no denying that most of Fuller's film literally burst with energy.
As does his autobiography `A Third Face,' written with wife Christa at the end of a long and event filled life, even those who find Fuller's film a little too energetic will find this book interesting. Starting out in New York City, where he found working as a copy boy and reporter on Park Row more interesting than the high school he'd abandon without graduation, to his service in the 1st U.S. Infantry Division (the Big Red One) in World War Two, through to his post-war career as a screen writer and film director, Fuller is never boring.
With the possible exception of `The Big Red One' (1980), a film that he'd nursed for years, Fuller's career peaked in the mid-60s with independent productions like `Shock Corridor' and `The Naked Kiss.' Although Fuller claims he was offered both `The Longest Day' ("My own vision of war and the world made me say no") and `Patton' ("After my war experiences, I didn't have the necessary detachment to do a picture celebrating the man"), it's as intriguing to contemplate how he might have directed these films as it is to wonder how serious were the offers. After all, as he admits, he `was prone to excess' and loved to grab the audience and shake them. Not necessarily what you look for in a big picture director. The third face, to Fuller, is the inner person that nobody else sees. "My third face was my own holy sanctuary... It was a storage room that nobody but me could enter... It wasn't just a concept for me but a very real locale, captivating and whimsical, cozy and seductive, the geisha girl of my brain." A Third Face is captivating and whimsical, cozy and seductive, too. A strong recommendation for this one.
He lived to tell his tales........2005-07-10
I read Sam Fuller's, A Third Face: My Tale of Writing, Fighting, and Filmmaking, after seeing three of his more mainstream movies on dvd. Told in a tough-guy no-nonsense style (with a bit of mild profanity), the book is a blast.
Parts one and two (the first 229 pages of the paperback's 562 pages of narrative) rank among the best memoirs I have read of the first half of the twentieth century. In the first part he tells of his youth in New York City's vigorous newspaper business in the 1920s--from selling papers to copy boy to crime reporter--followed by his years in the 1930s hoboing around the country doing free lance journalism, ultimately ending up in Hollywood writing for the Hollywood machine. Part two is his account of his years as an enlisted man in the First Infantry Division, the Big Red One. It is interesting to find out how many happenings in his film of that name actually occurred. If you have a friend who only reads about WWII, you can recommend this to him/her just for part two; s/he will thank you.
The remaining parts recount his experiences in Hollywood making movies, then the years when things fall apart, and finally his years as a famous man in France sought after by many young filmmakers. It is amazing to read how the Pentagon once called him to Washington (and he went!) to grill him about one of his movies and how J. Edgar Hoover objected to certain aspects of his films as un-American.
The book's many illustrations are well chosen and fit the text where they appear.
Fuller had an amazing life and an ever active imagination. In his last days he produced a book well worth reading even if you have never seen any of his films. Highly recommended.
Sam Fuller's Best Work.......2005-02-03
Sam Fuller has a strong, cult like following. He made a couple great films, but to be honest, the rest were very choppy, B grade thrillers that get a bit overrated by that cult.
A THIRD FACE is his greatest work.
This is an absolutely wonderful autobiography. Following his early days as a newspaper writer, his time in WWII, and his years as a writer and director. This is honestly more fun to read than any of his films are to watch.
The most amazing thing about the book is that it is written in his voice. If you ever saw him interviewed, or act in a film, he had a very distinctive voice. The book sounds just like he spoke. With short phrases, lots of exclamation points, just like he sounded!! It is the closest you are going to get to him reading it to you.
Even if you aren't familiar with his films, this is a great read.
A monumental acheivement.......2004-09-30
"A Third Face" is one of the great crusty, caustic autobiographies of recent years. Fuller died a few ago, an old cigar smoker of pithy phrase, maverick tendencies and artistic courage. As a crime reporter in New York in the 20s, as a hobo in the 30s, as a GI in World War II, as a novelist, screenwriter and director of noir and war movies ("Pickup on South Street," "House of Bamboo," "The Big Red One"), Fuller was a force of nature, a no-BS realist who knew how to tell a story. The photo on the back cover speaks volumes: raised pistol in one hand; a camera lens in the other. Yet he was, at core, a powerful pacifist. He was a survivor.
Fuller's style is profane, anecdotal, street wise and hugely engaging. It's no wonder, since he was the young protege and buddy of hard-boiled writers like Gene Fowler and Damon Runyon.
Fuller's account of his "dogface" years as a G.I. in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany is one of the best descriptions of WWII Army life I've read.
Later, Hollywood studios offered him big money to make their blockbusters ("The Longest Day," "Patton"), but he turned them down so he could make little movies his own way. ("I make A movies on B budgets," he liked to say.)
Out of curiosity,I recently rented a couple of his movies. "Pickup on South Street," with Richard Widmark and Jean Peters, just crackled. "Shock Corridor," with Peter Breck, was ambitious but flawed.
Though I can't wait to see some of his other films, my hunch is "A Third Face" will stand as Fuller's single greatest artistic achievement.
In later years, Fuller became mentor to many young directors: Jonathan Demme; Tim Robbins; Jim Jarmusch, Martin Scorsese. It's clear from Scorsese's introduction that they idolized him.
As a writer, Sam Fuller teaches this lesson: Write fast; never give up; to hell with the naysayers. His final two or three paragraphs offers a capstone philosophy that all should embrace.
I loved this book. It saddens me to finish it.
Inherently fascinating reading for film buffs.......2004-06-06
A Third Face: My Tale Of Writing, Fighting, And Filmmaking by Samuel Fuller (with the posthumous and collaborative assistance of his wife Christa Lang Fuller and longtime friend Jerome Henry Rudes) features a Foreword by Martin Scorsese and and presents the reader with an autobiographical account of one of Hollywood's most prolific and independent writer/director/producers. The late Samuel Fuller (1911-1997) made 29 tough, gritty films from 1949 to 1989. His film "Park Row" was inspired by his years in the New York newspaper business. His years of service in the army during World War II provided material for his films "The Big Red One", "The Steel Helmet", and "Merrill's Marauders. From "Pickup on South Street" and "Underworld U.S.A.", to "Shock Corridor" and White Dog", A Third Face provides the story behind the films and the man who created them. A Third Face is highly recommended and inherently fascinating reading for film buffs and students of 20th Century American Cinema.
Amazon.com
Being a great jazz critic is hard enough. Gary Giddins, however, is much more than that--he's one of the smartest, wittiest, and most versatile critics this country has produced. All of his collections are well worth owning. But in Faces in the Crowd, Giddins ranges beyond his customary jazz-and-pop beat, delivering superb assessments of Robert Altman, Jack Benny, James M. Cain, Spike Lee, Vladimir Nabokov, Samuel Goldwyn, and Myrna Loy. His enthusiasms are hard to resist, and on almost every page he makes you think about his subject from a novel (and enlightening!) angle.
Book Description
Thirty-seven profiles of major figures in the culture of our century
Customer Reviews:
a classic essay collection.......2000-10-01
This is one of the books I keep on the night table, because I find myself rereading my favorite sections over and over. When I was in school there were a couple of essay collections, like Robert Warshaw's The Immediate Experience and Dwight Macdonald's Against the American Grain, that were notable for their range and style, and Faces in the Crowd is a book I treasure for the same reason.
Gary Giddins is a well known jazz critic but in this collection his interests are extremely far-ranging, from Clint Eastwood to Eudora Welty. What makes him a fine writer is his generosity and insight. He writes like a friend who wants to share something he loves with you, yet at the same time he is a terrible exacting critic. Perhaps his greatest attribute is his wit; sections of this book are very funny. His essay on Jack Benny is a classic. But he can be hilarious when you don't expect, for example is writing about literary biographers (Katherine Anne Porter), or on Elmore Leonard's stylistic overkill, and a discussion of the pedants who are rewriting Faulkner. Of course, he is always good on music and his section on divas--Billie Holiday (who can be seen on the cover), Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Kay Starr--is moving and beautiful. This is a wonderful book.
Book Description
Our matching folio to Lifehouse's major label debut features note-for-note transcriptions with tab for the mega-hit "Hanging by a Moment" and: Breathing * Cling and Clatter * Everything * Only One * Quasimodo * Sick Cycle Carousel * Simon * Somebody Else's Song * Somewhere in Between * Trying * Unknown. Also includes an introduction/interview with the band, and lead singer/guitarist Jason Wade's comments about each of the songs.
Customer Reviews:
Great tabs from a great band.......2003-07-12
I recently purchased the No Name Face tab book, and I am very impressed. As advertised, the music is note for note what you hear on the cd. This book is for everyone, the music is not extremely difficult, so anyone can try learning the songs. It doesn't matter whether your love is for acoustic or electric, the songs sound great on both! Most of the songs are in standard tuning, but there are a few where you have to drop your guitar either a half a step, or a full step, but nothing drastic. Buy this book! You will be playing songs like Sick Cycle Car Carousel, Everything, Breathing, and Hanging by a Moment in no time.
Lifehouse`s Debut.......2002-06-26
My band and I always wanted to play the music of lifehouse. With this book we have finally worked out a band score for Simon, Somewhere in between and Everything! It was really really helpful to us. Thank you Cherrylane
Sheeer briliance.......2002-04-03
This is a purely great book. I know what you are thinking. That it will be like that phony backstreet boys book. WRONG. I love the music. i love the book.
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